Manifolding machine



r 1,644,956 1927' J. Q. SHERMAN ET AL MANIFOLDING MACHINE Filed Jan.l2. 1921 v ATTQF/VEVS.

Patented Oct. 11, 1927'.

UNITED STATES v 1,644,956 PATENT cranes.

JOHN Q. SHERMAN AND ALBERT W. 'ME'I'ZI Q'ER, 0F DAYTON, OHIO; SAID METZNER ASSIGNOR T0 SAID SHERMAN.

mnnironnrne' MACHINE.

Application filed January 12, 1921. Serial No. 436,774.

character which in addition will align thevarious webs through engagement with registering holes therein of pins or the like, 1

said webs being in a loose relation at .the time of alignment.

While the embodiment selected for purposes of illustration shows feed pins forming a part of the feeding operation of the paper, it will be understood that some merely reciprooatory or slightly movable element, without feeding function, suitably synchronized with the adjustable feed, would satisfy our object in its broad and general aspects.

We abcomplish our objects by that cer-- tain construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an autographic register embodying our invention.

Fi re 2 is a detail elevation of the adj usta le feeding elements.

Figure 3 is an end elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the feedv members.

Figure 5 is a like view of another'one of them, this one not carrying the feed pin element, as does the one in Figure 4.

The machine selected from the point of view of its simplicity for illustrating our inventioh in manifolding apparatus is an autographic register, having a casing 1, within which are spindles 2, 2, for rolls of paper 3, and which embodies a writing ,table 4, over which the paper passes and on which it receives impressions.

Mounted within a housing 5, located at the top of the machine beyond the writing table is a roll 6 or the like which is under the influence of springs 7, pressing downon the attenuated ends thereof, said ends being so mounted as to slide in the said housing. As will be observed below, this resilience of the roll 6 need not be arranged for, as its position will be constant for all operations,

since the roll is really more of a rotary abutment.

A feed shaft 9 is provided having suitable bearings in the casing, and under control of an operating device such as the handle 10. The writing table may be extended out between the roller 6 and the feed shaft to serve as a stripper, or some separate stripper or stripping fingers may be provided. In the former case, the said table will be cut away at 11, to clear the feeding device, which will now be described, and permit it to engage the paper on the lower side while the roller 6 engages it on the upper side.

It is the essential characteristic of the feeding device that it present a feeding periphery to the paper, which is adjustable in dimension, whereby the paper will be fed for a distance corres onding to the extent of said feeding perip ery.

Thus we provide in the instance illustrated, a pair of disks 12 and a pair of disks 13, one of one pair being used in conjunction with one of the other pair to provide two feeding elements, the numbers not bein essential.

ach disk has a hub 14, mounted over, the feed shaft, and held in adjusted position thereon by means such as a set screw 15.

The disk 12 has a peripheral extension 16, which is less than a complete circle, and the balance of the periphery is formed on a smaller radius than the said extension, although the exact construction of this balance is non-essential.

Located in this instance just ahead of the beginning of the peripheral extension 16, on the disks 12, are feed and alignment pins 17, which are of a nature to enter readily and easily into holes (not shown) which will be formed in the webs of paper being fed. These holes we prefer to have located at the heads of the forms, and to be of a size considerably larger than the pins, the essential feature of them in this machine being, however, that they be positioned similarly for each form on each web.

The disks 13 are mounted preferably closely alongside of the disks 12, and have extended peripheries 18, which also are less than a complete circle.

On the ends of the feed shaft, we prefer to have disks 19 of uniform diameter, which bear on the ends of the roller 6, thereby maintaining it away from contact with the writing table should it be extended between the feeding devices, and for maintaining it away from contact with the non-extended portions of the feed disks. Thus while the roll is acting as an idler member of the feed, it will not act to clamp the paper on the writing table, in such a way as to hold it frictionally. Neither will it interfere with the adjusted length of feed.

We will normally provide a releasable stop 20 for the feed handle, and will locate the disks 12, alike to each other, and with the pins thereon at the desired position relative to the stopped position of the feed handle. As shown, this may well be such as to bring the pins through the upper portion of their movement at the time that the handle is stopped, so that the pins will accomplish their feeding and aligning at the close of each operation and the beginning of each operation.

As so constructed, the operation of the device is as follows The operator will first position his disks 12, permitting their extended peripheries to pass up through the openings in the stripper or writing table. He will then locate the disks 13 in such a way that their extended peripheries will partially lap those of the disks 12, and in addition to them complete such part of a complete circle, as is desired.

He will then arrange the-paper so that the holes thereon seat over the feed pins, and position his feed handle in stopped position. Upon release and operation of the feed handle through each complete circle, the machine will then feed paper so long as contact is maintained between the disk peripheries and the upper roll- 6, but as soon as the eripheries end and no longer contact with t e upper roll, the feeding motion will stop entirely, until the pins come around again. The eripheries will be arranged so that they eed the paper just the right amount to bring the alignment apertures to a position to be engaged by the pins after each 0 ration, the adjustment being made by t e operator for this purpose. The pins will t en pick up the paper, and draw it through a short path, thereby aligning the printing on the paper, by bringing into absolute registry the holes formed therein.

The feeding peripheries in all feeding operations are so arranged as to clamp the paper betweenthem and the roll 6, and the resilienceof this roll is not required whereits position against the disks 19 can otherwise be secured;

We do not desire because of a failure to point out modifications of our device to thereby exclude from the interpretation of the claims that follow such mechanical equivalents of the parts claimed as would occur to those skilled in the art involved.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' 1. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding paper, comprisin a shaft, a roller element having its perip ery adjacent the shaft, a air of disks on said shaft having cylindrical portions and ribs formed on a portion only of the peripheries thereof, said ribs constituting contact elements with said roller element in feeding paper therebetween, and means for adj usting the position of one of the disks to adjust the total combined length of contactual periphery of the two elements.

"2. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding paper. comprising a shaft, a roller element having its periphery adjacent the shaft, a pair of disks on said shaft having cylindrical portions and ribs formed on a portion only of the peripheries thereof, said ribs constituting contact elements with said roller element in feeding paper therebetween, and means for adjusting the position of one of the disks to adjust the total combined length of contactual periphery of the two elements, and means on the said shaft for continuously engaging the said roller element to maintain it in a fixed horizontal plane and impart rotation thereto.

3. In a machine of the character described, means for feeding paper, comprisin a shaft, a roller element having its perip ery adjacent the shaft, a pair of disks on said shaft having cylindrical portions and ribs formed on a portion only of the peripheries thereof, said ribs constituting contactv elements with said roller element in feeding paper therebetween, and means for adjusting the position of one of the disks to adjust the total length of contactual periphery of the two elements, and means on the said shaft for continuously engaging the said roller element to maintain it in a fixed horizontal plane, said roller element comprising a roller, rotatably mounted within the machine, and spring pressed toward the said continuous engaging means, whereby said roller is definitely located with reference to the disk peripheries.

\ 4. In a manifolding register the combination of a feed shaft, a resiliently pressed roller urged toward said shaft, a member on the shaft mantaining contact with the roller at all times, and another member on the shaft, having a periphery of less than a complete circle, and in part not extending as far from said shaft as the member first noted, whereby paper may be fed between the said other memben and the pressure roller subject to tight frictional contact during a part revolution ofsaid member, and may pass freely between the pressure roller and said other shaft member during the remainder of its revolution.

5. In a manifolding register the combination of a feed shaft, a resiliently pressed roller urged toward said shaft, a member on the shaft maintaining contact with the roller at all times, and another member on the shaft, having a periphery of less than a complete circle, and in part not extending as far from said shaft as the member first noted, whereby paper may be fed between the said other member and the pressure roller subject to tight frictional contact during a part revolution of said member, and may pass freely between the pressure roller and said other shaft member during the remainder of its revolution, and a. feed pin on said other member located at the portion thereof which is of reduced radius, for the purpose described.

6. A rotary feed element for machines of the character described comprising a feed shaft, and a plurality of feeding pieces having peripheries on the same arc, and of less than a complete circle, said pieces having means for mounting them on said shaft, means as a pressure element for engaging the said segment shaped pieces and holding paper in feeding relation between them, and means for retaining the said pressure element in position of non-contact with the segment shaped pieces except at their peripheries on said arc, said means including an element to keep said pressure element in rotation at all times.

7. In a manifolding machine, feeding means for plural webs of paper in uniform lengths, said feeding means being adjustable to feed different lengths of paper for single complete revolutions thereof, said feeding means comprising an element to pass through a hole in all webs of paper and give them a feeding movement, said adjustable feeding means being so arranged that irrespective of the adjustment, the said element shall always function independently.

of the operative portion of the feeding means.

8. In a manifolding machine, feeding means for plural webs of paper in uniform lengths, said feeding means being adjustable to feed different lengths of paper for single complete revolutions thereof, said feeding means comprising an element to pass through a hole in all webs of paper and give them a feeding movement, said adjustable feeding means being so arranged that irre-v spective of the adjustment, the said element shall always function independently of the operative portion of the feeding means, said element being arranged as a feed pin moved in a rotary path.

9. In a manifolding machine, feeding means for plural webs of paper in uniform lengths, said feeding means being adjustable to feed different lengths of paper. for single complete revolutions thereof, said feeding means comprising an element to pass through a hole in all webs of paper and ive them a feedin movement, said adjusta le feeding means eing so arranged that irrespective of the adjustment, the said element shall always function independently of the operative portion of the feeding means, and a releasable stop for said feeding means being arranged to bring same to an arrested position at the end of each complete revolution.

10. In a manifolding machine a feed for paper comprising a feed shaft, a pressure element having its operative portions arranged to co-operate with means on said shaft,

means on the shaft for contacting with the pressure element to maintain it in a fixed position with reference to said shaft, and additional means on the shaft having a periphery of part only of a single circle, and adapted to engage paper between it and the pressure element at said portion of its periphery, anda feed pin mounted on said shaft and arranged to engage in holes in webs of paper being fed, during a period of each single revolution when saidperiphery portion is not in operative relation with the pressure element.

11. In a manifolding machine a feed for paper comprising a feed shaft, a pressure roller, means on the shaft for contacting with the roller and comprising disks of uniform diameter, to malntain the roller in constant movement, feeding means" on the shaft co-operative with the pressure roller and having adjustable peripheries of less than a complete circle whereby during a portion only of the movement of the shaft will paper webs be gripped between said means and the pressure roller, but at all times the roller will be in movement, substantially at the same peripheral speed as the said adjustable peripheries, for the purpose described.

JOHN Q. SHERMAN. ALBERT W. METZNER. 

